Fumblin' With the Blues
Tom Waits Lyrics


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Friday left me fumblin' with the blues
And it's hard to win when you always lose
Because the nightspots spend your spirit
Beat your head against the wall
Two dead ends and you've still got to choose

You know the bartenders
They all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead

You know the ladies I've been seeing off and on
Well they spend your love and then they're gone
You can't be lovin' someone who is savage and cruel
Take your love and then they leave on out of town
No they do

Well now fallin' in love is such a breeze
But its standin' up that's so hard for me
I want to squeeze you but I'm scared to death I'd break your back
You know your perfume
Well it won't let me be

You know the bartenders all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead

Come on baby
Let your love light shine
Gotta bury me inside of your fire
Because your eyes are 'nough to blind me
You're like a-looking at the sun
You gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one




Gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one

Overall Meaning

"Fumblin' With the Blues" is a song by Tom Waits that tells the tale of the singer's self-destructive behavior and inability to maintain healthy relationships. He sings about his struggles with addiction and his flawed relationships with women. The song's lyrics portray a character who is lost in a cycle of self-sabotage, caught between the lure of the night and the desire to do better.


The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of it. The singer is feeling down and out, with the blues. This is due to his struggles with addiction and the fact that he always seems to lose. He is caught in a cycle of partying and living for the moment, but it ultimately leaves him feeling empty and frustrated.


The next verse describes the singer's relationship with bartenders. They all know his name and help him when he's pulling up lame. He's a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster, someone who's always moving and hustling, never staying still or settling down. He knows that he should be living clean, but he can't resist the temptation of a good time.


The chorus is a plea for someone to love him and make him whole. He admits that falling in love is easy, but he struggles with standing up and being a good partner. His fear of hurting someone he loves keeps him from fully committing to a relationship.


Overall, "Fumblin' With the Blues" is a melancholic song about a man who can't seem to break free from his self-destructive tendencies. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a character who is stuck in a cycle of addiction, unable to find true happiness.


Line by Line Meaning

Friday left me fumblin' with the blues
I'm feeling lost and down because of the events of last Friday


And it's hard to win when you always lose
It's difficult to come out on top when you're constantly facing defeat


Because the nightspots spend your spirit
The bars and clubs drain your energy and take a toll on your soul


Beat your head against the wall
You're struggling to find a way out of your problems, hitting a wall at every turn


Two dead ends and you've still got to choose
Even though you're at a dead end, you still need to make a decision


You know the bartenders
The bartenders are familiar with me and my problems


They all know my name
They recognize me and know me well


And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
They help me out when I'm in trouble or struggling


And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
I'm a hustler and a liar, disappointed in myself


When I should be living clean instead
I should be honest and living a moral life


You know the ladies I've been seeing off and on
The women I've been dating occasionally


Well they spend your love and then they're gone
They take my love and leave without a second thought


You can't be lovin' someone who is savage and cruel
It's impossible to love someone who is mean and heartless


Take your love and then they leave on out of town
They take my love and go away to another place


No they do
That's what they do


Well now fallin' in love is such a breeze
It's easy to fall in love


But its standin' up that's so hard for me
It's difficult for me to commit and stay in love


I want to squeeze you but I'm scared to death I'd break your back
I want to hold you close, but I'm afraid I'll hurt you


You know your perfume
I'm familiar with the scent you wear


Well it won't let me be
It lingers in my memory and haunts me


Come on baby
Hey, sweetheart


Let your love light shine
Show your love and affection openly


Gotta bury me inside of your fire
I want to be completely consumed by your passion and love


Because your eyes are 'nough to blind me
Just looking into your eyes is overwhelming


You're like a-looking at the sun
It's like staring directly into the sun


You gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Tell me that I'm the only one you love


Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one
Please, whisper it to me again


Gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
I need to hear it one more time




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: TOM WAITS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Jake Boi

Friday left me fumbling with the blues
And it's hard to win when you always lose
Because the nightspots spend your spirit
Beat your head against the wall
Two dead ends and you've still got to choose

You know the bartenders they all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead

You know the ladies I've been seeing off and on
Well they spend your love and then they're gone
You can't be lovin' someone who is savage and cruel
Take your love and then they leave on out of town, no they do

Well now falling in love is such a breeze
But its standing up that's so hard for me
I wanna squeeze you but I'm scared to death I'd break your back
You know your perfume well it won't let me be

And you know the bartenders all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead



Well, come on baby let your love light shine
Gotta bury me inside of your fire
Because your eyes are enough to blind me
You're like a-looking at the sun
You gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one
Gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one



All comments from YouTube:

Simon Loveland

Love Jim Gordon's drumming. You just can't tell when he changes from brushes in the verse to sticks in the chorus, because it's so smooth and seamless - Genuine professional, old school drummer!!!

Om 1000

This could be my favorite song by Tom waits ❤️😍what can I say the guy is a genius 👍🤦🏻‍♀️🌹

MUDDY MO

I'm a pool player too. Yeah

Ricardo Ortiz

Love this blues amo este blues

Billy Catain

Absolutely love his sound on "The Heart of Saturday Night". Thanks for the upload.

sandyman1960

its class man

Jake Boi

Friday left me fumbling with the blues
And it's hard to win when you always lose
Because the nightspots spend your spirit
Beat your head against the wall
Two dead ends and you've still got to choose

You know the bartenders they all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead

You know the ladies I've been seeing off and on
Well they spend your love and then they're gone
You can't be lovin' someone who is savage and cruel
Take your love and then they leave on out of town, no they do

Well now falling in love is such a breeze
But its standing up that's so hard for me
I wanna squeeze you but I'm scared to death I'd break your back
You know your perfume well it won't let me be

And you know the bartenders all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead



Well, come on baby let your love light shine
Gotta bury me inside of your fire
Because your eyes are enough to blind me
You're like a-looking at the sun
You gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one
Gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one

greatvanzini

Pure genius as usual.

Jason Carpp

Awesome song! Awesome music.

Raul Souza

this dude simply has the suppreme drunk undead in the alleyway at midnight vibes

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